Portable battery powered communication devices are often utilized in public safety environments, such as law enforcement, fire rescue, and the like, to provide mission critical communications operating over a public safety platform, such as a land mobile radio (LMR) platform. There is an increased desire to expand the functionality of public safety communication devices to incorporate additional features that run on different operating platforms, other than the main LMR public platform. Adding features that operate on different platforms increases the possibility of potential conflict occurring as a result of accessing multiple features concurrently. Certain features are considered mission critical functions to a public safety communication device, and maintaining operation of these mission critical features is imperative. Excessive transient current demands on the battery may reset an entire device, causing a loss in communication. Hence, excessive transient power loading remains a challenge to be addressed in new portable battery powered devices incorporating an increased number of features. Improved power management approaches are needed. Size, cost, and weight are all relevant considerations to such power management approaches. For example, adding more battery cells is considered undesirable due the impact on cost, size, and weight of the product. Additionally, the ability to retain mission critical functionality is very important to public safety usage. Accordingly, there is need for a method and apparatus that can rapidly and dynamically address current transients in a portable battery powered communication device.
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The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.